The present invention relates to a new and distinct variety of almond tree, botanically known as Prunus dulcis, synonymous with Prunus amygdalus Batsch., Amygdalus communis L., and Amygdalus dulcis Mill., belongs to the Rosaceae family, and is hereinafter referred to by the variety denomination ‘MATAN’.
The new Prunus dulcis ‘MATAN’ is a product of a controlled breeding program conducted by the inventors, Doron Holland, Irit Bar-Ya'akov, Kamel Hatib and Reuven Birger in the Yizre'el Valley, Israel. The objective of the breeding program was to develop a new Prunus dulcis variety which is self fertile and produces almond fruit, of high quality and with a large kernel.
The new Prunus dulcis ‘MATAN’ originated from a cross made by the inventors in 2001 in Yizre'el Valley, Israel. The female or seed parent is the French, self-fertile Prunus dulcis variety designated Lauranne, (unpatented), and the male or pollen parent is the local Prunus dulcis variety designated ‘Um El Fahem’ (unpatented). The new Prunus dulcis ‘MATAN’ was selected by the inventors from the progeny of the stated cross in a controlled environment in 2005 in Yizre'el Valley, Israel.
Asexual propagation of the new Prunus dulcis ‘MATAN’ by grafting onto the Prunus persica (L.) Batsch×Prunus amygdalus batsch) rootstock designated GF.677 (unpatented), was first performed in March of 2005 (two trees) and then in February of 2006 (six trees) in the orchard located in Yizre'el Valley, Israel. Asexual propagation of the new Prunus dulcis ‘MATAN’ has demonstrated that the combination of characteristics as herein disclosed for the new variety is firmly fixed and retained through successive generations of asexual propagation. The new variety reproduces true-to-type.